What if
by Lyllian C.K
Summary: After the last book. Percy has lost all memory of growing up until after The Accident. Upon a chance meeting with the beautiful Annabeth Chase, can he remember who he is and what he's over come?
1. No imagination

**Percy Jackson pounded his head on the desk in front of him. He couldn't do anything right. He had no inspiration, no words dancing in his head, the cursor on the screen blinking on the blank page. He sighed and switched his computer to sleep mode and shuffled to the bathroom. It was a sterile white, as it had been for ages. The tiles were white. The walls were faded white. Everything was blank. Like a piece of paper or the easel in the corner of his bedroom, covered in a tarp, unused since it had been given to him all those years ago. **

**Percy sighed and looked at himself in the mirror. He had changed. He could tell. He had a seven o'clock shadow, bags under his eyes, his hair was a dull, rumpled mess. Shaking his head, Percy turned the shower on and stood there, the water pounding his back. Water always made him feel better, but why Percy would never understand. **

**Switching the hot water off, Percy cleared the steamy window and looked in the mirror again. He felt more reenergized, but something was still off. At twenty, Percy looked more around the age of fourty. Gently, he touched the scar on his forehead. It sliced from the middle of his hairline, swooped downwards above his eyebrow, and ended at the hairline on his right temple. It was a faint pink line, like someone had taken a pink marker and swooshed it across his head. Percy couldn't remember how it got there, or anything before than. Or atleast, not large memories. He had some patches of his memory, a white smile here, a golden laugh. Battle cries and the screams of dying creatures. His most favored memory was a happy one. **

**In the memory, was a young man, about the age of sixteen. He had navy blue eyes and messy black hair, and he was smiling. Next to him was another young man. He seemed older than the teenage boy, maybe in his early twenties or late teen years. He had curly brown hair that stuck out from a baseball cap that said Save The Planet One Tin Can At A Time. He was chewing on something shiny, metal maybe. Across from the first boy, was a girl the same age as him. She had long light blond hair with two stormy grey eyes that sparkled with happiness. Love perhaps. She was laughing, a grin that stretched across her tanned face, revealing white teeth. The three of them sat on a picnic blanket, the girl reaching across the blanket, the first boy's hand covering hers. They were in a clearing, a basket next to the boy in the middle. Percy sighed.**

**He knew these people. He could tell. But he couldn't remember. Leaving the bathroom, he got dressed and slipped on a pair of sneakers. Shrugging on a navy jacket, he grabbed his keys and walked out of the apartment door. Before he closed it, he looked back at the easel. He didn't know who it had come from, but he had received it on his eighteenth birthday, two years ago. He had found it on the fire escape outside his window, his name on an envelope. Inside had been a sea blue card. **

_**Paint what comes to you Percy. Paint what you love.**_

_**That was all it said. Percy had left it in the corner of the living room every since, changing the tarp every so often. It was signed with a stamp of a trident. Percy left the building, and headed towards Central Park, a few blocks away. While crossing the street, he saw a young woman getting out of an odd looking grey taxi in front of the park. A pair of rollerblades hung around her neck, and she was leaning through the passenger window, paying the taxi driver. Her blond hair was pulled into a high ponytail on top of her head. Percy watched from the entrance of the park as the taxi sunk into the ground and the woman turned around. Her dark tan skin made her grey eyes seem a shinning silver. Her strong muscular legs stretched as she bent to untie one of her shoes. She was sitting on the curb now, pulling her shoes off and slipping into the rollerblades. She stood and began to skate into the park.**_

_**Out of nowhere, Percy had the sudden urge to call after her. He ran into the park, the woman speeding ahead on her blades. It was summer, and it was hot in New York. **_

"_**Wait!" Percy called as the woman rounded a corner and disappeared into a throng of people who moved aside to let her through. He pushed his way through the crowd, who had gathered around a young woman in a bright blue dress with strawberry-blonde hair who was singing and dancing with other street performers. A man in a business suit sat on a bench with his face hidden in his hands. Percy broke through the crowd, and burst back to full speed, chasing after the woman. **_


	2. Seaweed Brain

After a while, he found her, sitting by herself in front of one of the lakes. She sat on a large boulder, knees drawn up to her chin, arms wrapped around her strong legs. Percy slowed down, and came to a silent stop and watched the woman for a few moments. He couldn't see her face, but somehow, her posture, her body language seemed familiar to him.

All was quiet for sometime.

"What do you want?" Came a voice. It took Percy a minute to realize that the woman was speaking to him.

"Um. I don't know," Percy replied. The woman didn't move.

"Leave." It was a harsh command.

"But, I…I don't know where I am. I don't know this part of the park," Percy said sheepishly. The woman gave a harsh laugh, back still to Percy.

"Of course you don't. No one knows this place. Except for two other people," she added softly. Her tense shoulders went limp and started shaking. She was crying. Percy climbed up the rock and placed a hand on her back, careful to avoid the middle, her scar was there.

_How'd I know that?_ Percy asked himself.

"Um…is there anything I can do?" Percy asked awkwardly, sitting down next to the woman.

"Leave me alone." Came a muffled reply.

"No. I'm not Luke," Percy replied.

_Where the heck did that come from? Who is Luke?_

The woman looked up suddenly, grey eyes shinning with tears.

"How do you know," she trailed off upon making eye contact with Percy.

"Seaweed Brain?" She whispered.

"Percy," Percy replied.

"Oh my Gods. Does your mother know you're alive? What about Grover? Oh Grover! He's been searching for you for two years Percy! Oh my gods you're alive!" The woman babbled. Percy looked at her quizzically.

"I don't know who you're talking about miss. I don't even know why I'm here. Who are you?" Percy asked the woman. She froze and looked at him.

"You don't remember me?" She asked him in awe. Percy shook his head no. The woman studied him and brushed his bangs aside, revealing the scar on his forehead. She traced it with her pointer finger.

"The accident. You lost your memory," she whispered. She looked him in the eyes. Percy felt a small jolt and he blacked out in the arms of an old friend.

_Percy was standing on a rock in the middle of a forest. His arm was bleeding, and he held a weapon in his right hand. Behind him, her back pressed to his, was his first friend at Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth Chase. Her intelligent grey eyes were focused on the sounds of the approaching team._

"_They aren't so good at being quiet are they Percy?" Annabeth asked. Percy gripped his spear. _

"_No, they really aren't."_

_As Clarisse and her gang crashed through the clearing and charged at Percy and Annabeth, Annabeth slipped a baseball cap on her head and immediately became invisible. _

"_Remember the plan Percy!" Her disembodied voice called out. Percy nodded and ducked as Clarisse swiped at him with her electrified spear. The tip grazed his cheekbone, but the electricity wasn't on yet, so all he got was a bloody cheek. He stumbled into a creek and his wounds healed themselves. He looked around in surprise. Clarisse brushed this new ability aside and growled at him as she raised her spear. With electricity._

"_No amount of water will save you when I'm trough with you Jackson," she growled. Than came the blue light above Percy's head and she stopped. Annabeth took off her cap and dropped her spear._

"_Oh my gods," she whispered. Everyone looked at Percy and whatever was above his head when the rest of Clarisse's team came crashing through the forest, carrying the other teams flag. All celebrating stopped when they saw Percy, sitting in the creek, perfectly dry with something blue painted above his head._

"_What?" He asked. But no one answered him._

"_Somebody get Chiron. Go!" Annabeth commanded, fearful eyes switching from Percy to the thing above him and back. Percy looked up. There, was a blue trident._

"_You've been marked, Jackson," Clarisse snarled._

"_Posiedon's son. Oh, this is not good," someone else whispered._

Percy woke up on the rock, the woman staring at him.

"I should know you, shouldn't I?" He asked her. She nodded, a tear falling onto his cheek from her own. Percy sat up and looked around.

"Where am I?" Percy asked. The woman didn't reply.

"You're name is Annabeth." He tried again. The woman nodded and sighed.

"This is where the accident happened. I come here so often, almost every other week. Chiron cast the Mist over this place, so the humans can't see the pathway here. That's why no one knows where I go when I come here," Annabeth explained.

Percy nodded, not understanding. He looked at Annabeth.

"You, you meant something to me, didn't you?" He asked carefully. Annabeth looked at him with loss in her eyes.

"Yes, you did." Percy answered his own question. Suddenly, Annabeth pulled him into a tight hug.

"Oh, Seaweed Brain, you can't even imagine how much we've all worried about you," she said fiercely. Percy closed his eyes and cautiously hugged her back.

"_Seaweed Brain."_

"_God, you're such a Seaweed Brain."_

"_What is it with you Seaweed Brain?" "Percy you're such an idiot! You're such a, such a, SEAWEED BRAIN!"_

_A million times, he had been called Seaweed Brain by Annabeth. She was his closest friend, other than Grover of course. Sometimes his nickname came up accompanied with disgust, other times filled with a kind of powerful affection. Sometimes tears, others a smack on the head for scaring her. But always, Seaweed Brain. _

"_You called me that a lot huh?"_

"_You ask a lot of question don't you?"_

"_Well, maybe you'll just have to help me find the answers." Percy shot back. Annabeth let him go and blinked in surprise._

"_Of course I will Percy. Anything to get my Seaweed Brain back where he belongs. I know where to start, come on," Annabeth jumped up and hurried off on her skates, Percy close behind shouting at her to wait for him. _


	3. Back to Camp

Annabeth lead them out of the park, slowing down and changing into her shoes. She caught Percy staring at her.

"What?" She asked accusingly, realizing she was wearing denim short shorts and a tank top underneath a tee shirt.

"Nothing. I'm just trying to remember."

"Oh."

There was an awkward pause as they waited for Annabeth to hail a taxi. The ride to wherever it was they were going was silent. The taxi driver kept looking back at the two of them. Once, he caught Percy's eye and raised his eyebrows, quietly asking what was going on. Percy simply shrugged in a I-have-no-idea kind of way. The taxi stopped in front on a large hill with a single pine tree standing in the middle of it. The taxi driver narrowed his thick brows in confusion.

"You folks sure this is where you want to be?" He asked.

"Yes" Annabeth replied at the same time that Percy said "I don't know". Annabeth gave him a look that, like other gestures, seemed oddly familiar to him. Annabeth paid the driver and he sped off, not wanting to be in the middle of whatever was going on.

"So, where are we exactly?" Percy asked, watching the bright yellow cab speed off to the blessed Manhattan Skyline of civilization. Annabeth just laughed, took his hand and pulled him up the hill to the tree. She made him walk backwards though.

"Okay, before I turn you around, put your hand on the tree," she commanded. Percy did and a quick jolt went through him. A strange thing happened. Copies of a younger version of Percy appeared on the hill. They were all shades of brown, like that setting on a camera called sepia. They were all different ages, all doing different things. There were other people and creatures there too. Annabeth was there, the older boy with the curly hair was there too. There was a girl from the last flashback, Clarisse, Percy recalled.

Of course, there were also insane creatures too. There was a small dragon wrapped around the tree, a golden fleece hanging from a branch above its head. A golden bull charged the hill, running straight at Clarisse and Copy Percy. Another Copy Percy fought off a hulking shape, half man, half bull. A fifteen year old girl fell out of the pine tree, into another Copy Percy's arms. Than, as soon as the images had come, they left.

Percy shook his head, not sure what to think of what happened. He looked at Annabeth for answers.

"What did you see?" She asked curiously.

"Younger mes. If that makes sense. They were doing different things. They were all different ages. What was that?"

"The tree knows you. It wants to help. I know that sounds crazy, but it does."

Percy gave Annabeth a long stare, navy eyes meeting silver-grey. He nodded.

"I trust you."

Annabeth smiled and took his hand again and turned him around. They were on the very top of a hill, and below them was a large valley, surrounded by other hills. In the distance, Percy could see an expanse of the Atlantic Ocean and a rather daunting looking forest. By the forest was a collection of buildings, numbering to around three dozen. A large house sat closest to the hill where he stood with Annabeth. Statues and small temples littered the empty grounds, kids walking in and out and around them. Percy looked over at Annabeth.

"I know this place." He stated simply.

"Yeah. You do. This is Camp Half-Blood Percy. You spent every summer here between the age of twelve and eighteen. When you lost your memory," Annabeth said. She tugged at his hand and led him down the hill.

"Before I give you the second tour you've had of this place, there's someone you ought to re-meet."


	4. I Dare You to Remember

Annabeth led him down the hill to the huge house looming in front of them. Percy took in his surroundings in a state of awe. Boys and men with bare chests wandered about, their lower halves resembling those of goats. Some stood in strawberry fields, playing on wooden instruments, causing the plants to grow faster than normal plants. A group of kids threw a Frisbee back and forth to each other, but an occasional camper would appear out of nowhere in mid-air, snatching the Frisbee and flying away with it, with the use of a pair of winged sandals.

Annabeth let go of Percy's hand and walked up the front steps of the house onto the wrap around porch. She looked back at him. He was staring at the house. It was familiar. He knew that much.

"Come on Percy! Mr. D should be in here; it's too hot out for him," Annabeth called from the steps, which didn't give her to much of distance from him, but she was yelling anyway.

"I'm right here Annabeth, stop yelling!" Percy replied before hurrying up the steps. Annabeth grinned and opened the door.

The house looked perfectly normal. Big comfy couches, a plasma TV, surround sound system and a door with stairs going down to what Percy guessed was a wine cellar. It was a large open space, with a grand flight of stairs going up to the second floor. Annabeth tugged on his jacket sleeve and he followed her as she raced up the stairs.

"Annabeth slow down, whats the big rush?" Percy complained, pausing half way up the stairs.

"Geez, you really let yourself go after the accident, didn't you?" Annabeth chided as she waited for him patiently, tapping her foot.

At the end of the hallway, she pulled on a cord and Percy followed her up a flight of stairs that appeared from the ceiling into the attic of the house.

"It's not dusty anymore," he noted aloud. Annabeth looked at him in surprise.

"You remember?" Percy nodded. He recognized this place, as changed as it was. A window had been added, a large one with sunlight streaming in. The walls and ceiling had been painted and enchanted, and Annabeth and Percy watched as rolling fields turned to turquoise waters filled with a coral reef and fish of all kinds. A manta ray that seemed to be almost real glided across the ceiling. Fairy lights were stranded along where the walls met the floor, giving off an eerily but beautiful light. On the far side of the now spacious attic was a complete set of living room furniture. Two beanbags that had been splatter painted sat across from one another, a lamp next to either one. A futon with its back to Percy and Annabeth had a tye dye cover on it. A pair of feet stuck up over the top of the futon.

Percy took in the space and saw a poster with darts sticking out from it. It was a painting of him. He seemed to be eighteen. One dart was stuck right between his eyebrows, at the very top of his nose.

"I see you're still mad about me leaving," he said. _Where did that come from?_

The feet disappeared and a pale face covered in freckles and framed by a wild mass of curly red hair replaced them.

"Percy? Oh my gosh Percy!" The face screamed and it leapt over the couch, a body attached. The young woman ran at him full speed and smacked into him. Two hands started poking and prodding his sides and arms, before grabbing his cheeks and pulling him down so they were at the same eye level as the woman who owned them. Two bright green eyes bore into his navy eyes with an intense cross between focus and disbelief.

"How did you find him? I thought he was dead! You are dead! Perseus Jackson you're supposed to be dead! Oh my gods how are you alive?!? Annabeth, Percy is alive! Oh my gods does Chiron know? What about Grover? And Nico and Clarisse and Thalia! Oh my gods your poor parents! Poseidon doesn't even know you're alive! He thought you were dead! Your poor mother and Paul! Oh gods! Percy!" and than she slapped him. Hard. Percy turned his head back to her and rubbed his jaw. A bright red hand shaped mark covered the left side of his face.

"What the Hades was that for?!?" He asked incredulously. She just slapped him again. On the right side of his face. Suddenly she was pounding him on the chest, and kicking him and punching him.

"You know very well what that was for! Who in the world do you think you are? Zeus?" Thunder rumbled. The woman glared out the window.

"You think you can be dead for fifty minutes, come back to life, not tell us and just walk away!? You know how worried we were? How devastated everyone was? Annabeth built a shrine for you! A freaking shrine! Every camper from Poseidon cabin goes there to pray! Flowers that have been dyed blue are left there! When campers give their food to the gods some whisper your name! That's what this all for! For scaring us! For the storms of tears people shed when we buried your flag from that first game when you were twelve in your tomb! For making us worry! For leaving us!" The woman stopped and looked up at Percy, hands gripping his shoulders tight, her own shaking as tears streamed down her face.

"For leaving me," she added in a whisper, green eyes filled with hurt and tears. She wiped them away and released Percy from her vice grip. A tan hand appeared on the new woman's shoulder. The red head looked over to Annabeth, who was standing behind her.

"Rachel. Rachel, he doesn't remember," Annabeth told her. The woman, Rachel, looked shocked. She looked at Percy and approached him. He backed up against a wall, bracing himself for another attack. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. A gentle hand moved away his shaggy black bangs and a warm finger traced the scar on his forehead. Percy reopened his eyes. Rachel was staring at the scar, a new batch of tears threatening to spill over. She met his cautious gaze with a steady wet one.

"You don't remember me? Do you know who I am?" She asked quietly. Percy relaxed his hands and shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I don't." The woman began to cry and Percy swallowed her up in his arms. She buried herself there and cried. Annabeth smiled sadly. Rachel sniffed and gave a quiet hiccup and looked back up at Percy, than turned to Annabeth.

"He remembers you though." A statement, no question mark. No tone, no change in sound. Rachel's voice was cold, betrayed.

"Yes. Only barely though."

"Of course he remembers you." Rachel replied. She walked away from Percy.

"Rachel," Percy said. She stopped.

"Your name is Rachel."

"Seeing as how Annabeth called me that earlier, you don't remember. That doesn't count." She said stiffly.

"But I do. I do remember. Rachel, come on, I know you. I can tell."

"Than tell me Perseus," Rachel said, turning suddenly. Her arms crossed over her chest. "Tell me how we first met."

"I was running. You were on vacation. At the Hoover Dam. I was being chased by skeletons and you sneezed and I stabbed you with my sword. You hid me in the bathroom and sent the skeletons to the generators," Percy said with his eyes squeezed shut. He opened them and looked at Rachel hopefully. Joy was written all over her face, but she quickly composed herself.

"Fair enough. What's the name of your sword?"

"Um….Riptide."

"Huh. Well, okay. I guess you're legit." Rachel said with a smile and Percy grinned. She walked back to him and gave him a hug.

"Oh my gods you need to tell Chiron!" Rachel exclaimed and pulled Percy down the stairs and down the hall. Annabeth followed, laughing quietly.

"Why am I being pulled around by women today?" Percy asked aloud. Annabeth just laughed as Percy stumbled down the stairs behind Rachel who was now screaming at the top of her lungs.

"CHRION! CHIRON! CHIRON!" She screamed. Chiron came out of one of the doors in his wheelchair, zooming over the slick hardwood floors.

"Yes Rachel? Rachel whats wrong? You look like the cat who swallowed the canary! Whats going on here?!?" Chiron panted. Rachel had forced Percy down behind her so Chiron couldn't see.

"You'll never guess what the owl dragged in!!" Rachel said gleefully.

"The owl? Rachel I know you're the Oracle and all, but why are you speaking in riddles? You are not giving a prophecy! You need to see Apollo again dear, you're not right in the head!" Chiron exclaimed. Annabeth stepped out from behind Percy and came to Rachel's right side.

"Hey there Chiron. Long time no see," she said bashfully. Chiron just looked from Rachel to Annabeth and back.

"Annabeth! My dear it's been so long! Two years correct! Ever since Percy…well. Anyway. What brings you here dear girl?" Chiron asked in surprise.

"Actually, it's the accident. I wanted to talk to you about that. But, when I was at The Site, I kind of found someone. But it's more that he found me," Annabeth said, a blush creeping into her cheeks. Percy stepped out from behind Rachel to her left side. Chiron gaped at him.

"Percy? Oh dear gods! Percy! Dear lad where have you been? What happened to you! Oh gods your poor parents! Your mother was in a right fit at your funeral!" Chiron exclaimed, wheeling himself over.

"I'm sorry sir, Chiron. But I have no recollection of who you are or what this place is," Percy apologized. Chiron nodded, eyes watering with joyful tears. Percy showed him his scar.

"Of course," he said simply, eyes tracing it.

"Percy, could you try? Chiron he remembers me. He remembers Rachel. All he has to do is try," Annabeth explained. Hope filled the old centaur's eyes; Percy had been by far one of his favorite campers and students. Percy nodded and shut his eyes, picturing the man in front of him. At first, there was nothing except for what he had just been through. Re-meeting Rachel, seeing Annabeth again, being at this camp as the others called it. The four of them remained silent for five minutes, waiting for Percy to speak.

"That's alright Percy. Perhaps you will remember in time," Chiron sighed, hope vanishing from his friendly eyes.

"Chiron," Rachel said in a kind voice.

"It's alright my dear," he said as he wheeled away. Percy felt awful. He closed his eyes in disappointment.

_In a flash he was twelve, in a classroom where armor lined the walls. A man with thinning hair and a scruffy beard was in a wheelchair before him in a tweed jacket. He smelled of coffee. _

"_Percy," he said. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's…it's for the best."_

_His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids finishing the test could hear. Nancy Bobofit smirked at me and made sarcastic little kissing motions with her lips._

_I mumbled, "Okay, sir."_

"_I mean…." Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn't sure what to say. "This isn't the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."_

_My eyes stung._

_Here was my favorite teacher, in front of the class, telling me I couldn't handle it. After saying he believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out._

"_Right," I said, trembling._

"_No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say … you're not normal, Percy. That's nothing to be---"_

"_Thanks," I blurted. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."_

"_Percy----"_

_But I was already gone._

_Percy's eyes flew open._

"_Mr. Brunner!" He called after Chiron. Chiron stopped and his wheelchair turned._

"_Leaving Yancy was right for me." Chiron smiled and moved to get up. Percy gave a gasp as the man he remembered as his favorite teacher rose higher and higher, until his lower half had disappeared and become the strong lower section of a snow white stallion._

"_I agree son, it was. Now, let's see about getting you reacquainted with some old friends of yours."_


End file.
